Savvy investors understand the most prudent approach to building wealth is buying and holding stocks for the long-term. They zero in on stocks they have solid business plans, effective leadership, and strong fundamentals.

This is easier said than done, which is why I am highlighting four stocks I believe investors can buy and hold for their retirement.  Each of these companies are in different sectors, for the purpose of diversification.

So let’s take a look at: Apple (AAPL), Waste Management (WM), The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) and Guardant Health (GH).

Apple (AAPL - Get Rating)

AAPL products are certainly expensive but most people believe they are worth the money. The durability and superior user experience design of AAPL products keeps the company’s customers coming back for more. 

And the company continues to expand into different industries.  For example, their video streaming service Apple TV+, the satellite business, and healthcare. 

AAPL has solid POWR Ratings across the board, highlighted by an “A” Trade Grade and a “B” Industry Rank grade. AAPL is ranked in the top five of 30 publicly traded companies in the Technology – Hardware space.

Take a look at the analysts’ take on AAPL and you will find the average price target is $123.50. If AAPL moves to this price, it will have gained more than 6%. 

AAPL is a global behemoth that should be relatively strong even if the economic recession worsens due to a second wave of coronavirus.

Waste Management (WM - Get Rating)

The waste management industry is considered recession-proof, and WM is considered the industry’s superstar.  WM, North America’s top waste management company, provides waste collection services, resource recovery, recycling, waste transfer, disposal and more. Furthermore, WM’s business extends to developing and operating facilities that convert waste to energy and gas from landfills to energy.

Take a look at the WM POWR Ratings and you will find the stock has an “A” Trade Grade along with “B” grades in the Industry Rank and Buy & Hold Grade components. WM is ranked in the top half of 14 stocks in the Waste Disposal category. Check out the analysts’ view of WM and you will find they are quite bullish, setting an average price target of $118.

WM stock should not be severely impacted by the outcome of the upcoming election or a second wave of the virus. In fact, some investors will likely view WM as a safe haven to park their money in, should the economy worsen or the virus wreak havoc once again.

The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC - Get Rating)

When the economy and market become tumultuous, money pours into stocks likely to hold steady. KHC is one such stock. KHC is one of the continent’s largest food and beverage businesses. KHC makes and markets food/beverage products including its popular condiments. KHC also sells dairy products, coffee, meat, full meals and more. Examples of KHC brands include Kraft, Heinz, Planters, Velveeta, Maxwell House, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer and Capri Sun.

The POWR Ratings show KHC has “B” grades in the Trade Grade, Industry Rank and Buy & Hold Grade components. Furthermore, KHC is ranked in the top 20 of nearly 60 publicly traded stocks in the Food Makers category.

The top analysts have a rosy outlook for KHC, setting an average price target of $36.07. KHC could be considered undervalued at its current price of $32 as its forward P/E is a mere 11.84. 

Guardant Health (GH - Get Rating)

GH is an oncology business zeroed in on beating cancer with advanced analytics, comprehensive data sets and proprietary blood tests. GH’s Oncology Platform facilitates clinical development and reimbursement to catalyze commercial adoption and boost patient outcomes while simultaneously reducing healthcare costs.

The GH POWR Ratings are highlighted by an “A” Trade Grade. GH also has “B” grades in the POWR Rating components of Industry Rank, Peer Grade and Buy & Hold Grade. GH is ranked in the top 10 of more than 140 Medical – Devices & Equipment stocks.

The average analyst price target for GH is a whopping $117.50, indicating the stock has the potential to rally more than 15%. 

Currently, GH makes most of its profits from selling its Guardant360 test, which measures 74 cancer-related genes.  In the future, the company could also see massive profits from its LUNAR-2 test, which is a screening tool for colorectal cancer for early detection of cancer in asymptomatic patients.  If the Lunar-2 test is approved, GH stock could see a significant move higher. 

Looking to the future, as cancer research continues to advance, GH will prosper.

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AAPL shares were trading at $117.33 per share on Tuesday afternoon, up $1.35 (+1.16%). Year-to-date, AAPL has gained 60.71%, versus a 8.20% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

About the Author: Patrick Ryan

Patrick Ryan has more than a dozen years of investing experience with a focus on information technology, consumer and entertainment sectors. In addition to working for StockNews, Patrick has also written for Wealth Authority and Fallon Wealth Management. More...

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